Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope Campaign Success!
In my professional life, I have been fortunate to lead 11 Arch/Diocesan campaign efforts. Each has been unique and rewarding for many different and similar reasons. As a person who enjoys creating a to do list, using pen and paper, and dedicating time to rethinking current practices, I recently reflected on the different and similar reasons I enjoy working with Catholic Arch/Dioceses on capital campaigns. The following were a few of the different and similar reasons related to Graham-Pelton’s recent successful $48 million campaign for the Diocese of Greensburg:
Similar
- Playing a role in the shaping of the future of the Church in a geographical region.
- Traditional Case Elements I enjoy supporting: Catholic Charities, Catholic schools, local parishes and priest retirement.
- Working with a team of professionals to transform an idea into reality for the Church and the tens of thousands of Catholics served by a local Diocese.
- Working intimately with the Arch/Bishop and Church leaders to experience their Faith, passion, humble nature and leadership.
- Working with Priests and lay leaders. It is our hope that the clergy and laity that we work with will be able to utilize fundraising practices from this experience and positively impact their future parishes and communities.
Different
- The challenges related to the timing of the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign – 9/1/08 – 5/31/10.
- The challenges related to overcoming unique circumstances like parish closings in the year preceding the campaign, and a campaign with another firm less than 10 years prior.
- We are proud to have partnered with the Diocese of Greensburg and Bishop Brandt to raise more than $48 million during the worst recession in 80 years.
- The leadership of Bishop Brandt, the parish pastors, and their strong partnership with the 65,000 Catholics of the Diocese of Greensburg resulted in more than 35% participation.
- It is rewarding to be the first diocesan-wide capital campaign in the United States that began after September 2008 to surpass its campaign target.
For all of these reasons as well as all of the daily laughs and struggles, we celebrate the successful completion of the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope capital and endowment campaign. We congratulate the clergy and more than 9,000 laity that helped to form the Strategic Plan for the Diocese of Greensburg, the more than 2,500 lay leaders who worked so hard the past two years to raise funds for the diocese and their local parish, the 22,000 campaign donors, and the parish pastors who shared the message of the campaign with the faithful so eloquently.
On behalf of the Graham-Pelton Consulting team, I want to thank and congratulate Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, JCD, PhD, Monsignor Lawrence Persico, the Priest’s Advisory Committee, Matthew Stoessel, the priests of the 85 diocesan parishes, the more than 700 Parish Leadership Team Members, and thousands of campaign volunteers that have created this outstanding campaign success! There are so many people that contribute to a successful diocesan-wide capital campaign. When the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign succeeds, it is a compliment to everyone associated with the campaign over more than two years of active fundraising and nearly a year of strategic planning.
My Best Regards,
Brad
Remember Your History – Define Your Future
In his entry, The Year for Priests, Brad wonders how many lives a Priest can touch in his 30-50 years as a Priest. As a Priest looks back on his life, he can count the sacraments conducted as part of his past; but I would imagine he also realizes that each of those sacraments greatly influenced those individuals for the rest of their lives – lives that will likely continue after that Priest is gone.
Brad’s example resonated with me because of a thoughtful letter composed by one of our campaign volunteers. As a firm, we understand the importance of various methods of communication throughout a campaign. One way we communicate with individual parishes during a diocesan campaign is through a bi-weekly campaign newsletter. These newsletters are a way to provide information on the campaign case and methodology, answer questions that arise, and encourage participation. This week, a dedicated volunteer took it upon herself to draft her own newsletter issue to recognize those parishioners that came before her that allowed her parish to be what it is today. You can view a copy of the newsletter here.
While we as consultants are the experts on fundraising, we must look to Pastors and volunteers for their valuable insight regarding their parish. The volunteer referenced above has eloquently reminded her parish that the sacrifices of those that came before her shaped the parish—in doing so, she hopes to remind her fellow parishioners that they have the same opportunity to shape the future of their parish for the next generation of Catholic families.
As a campaign progresses, it is a pleasure to mold and improve the campaign message by listening to our volunteers and incorporating their ideas into the narrative. Thanks to all the volunteers who continue to make the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign a success.
The Two Minute Warning
In recognition of the recently completed NCAA tournament, I am proud to announce that the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope Capital and Endowment campaign for the Diocese of Greensburg has reached the Two-Minute Warning of the second half…Two Minutes, Twooooo! The campaign has now surpassed $40 million and 90% of the $45 million campaign goal.
On behalf of the Graham-Pelton Consulting team, I want to thank and congratulate Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, JCD, PhD, Matt Stoessel, Monsignor Lawrence Persico, the Priest’s Advisory Committee, the priests of the 85 diocesan parishes, the more than 600 Parish Leadership Team Members, and thousands of campaign volunteers that have created this outstanding campaign success! With several months remaining in the campaign timetable, the campaign is on track to meet its ambitious target. While I am conscience of the need to meet the target before celebrating, I am also a believer in celebrating your success along the way! It is a compliment to everyone associated with the campaign that the following successes have been celebrated to date:
Bishop’s Phase Successful
Model Phase Successful
Clergy Phase Successful
Group One Parish Phase Successful
Group Two Parish Phase Successful
Group Three Parish Phase is on track for success
Foundations Phase is on track for success
Combined Campaign Parish Phase is on Track for success
There are so many people that contribute to a successful diocesan-wide capital campaign. When the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign succeeds, it will be because of the combined efforts of literally tens of thousands of Catholics of the Diocese of Greensburg!
Kudos to each of them!
Best Regards,
Brad
PS. As a person born and raised near Indianapolis, I would also like to congratulate Butler University for a terrific season
Celebrate the generosity of humankind!
Spend enough time around a fundraising campaign and you’ll hear all sorts of numbers. Metrics, benchmarks, targets, ROI…these measurements can guide both client and adviser as they seek to maximize the benefit of their work. However, we must always remind ourselves that we’re not raising numbers—we’re enabling generous individuals to assist organizations in fulfilling their missions and enhancing their ability to serve their constituents.
Now that the word “billion” has become commonplace in the fundraising world, we watch the “hundreds,” “thousands,” and even “millions” tick by as if they’re only percentage points towards our final destination. All this leaves me wondering, have we become desensitized to the impact of our work?
Not a day goes by when I don’t concern myself with the percentage of goal raised by a particular parish, but it’s often not until I meet with my volunteer committees that I remember to reflect on the incredible possibilities created through the sacrifices of caring Catholic families. At the end of our current project, it will be satisfying to view the campaign not in dollars raised but in the number of families that came together to repair roofs, replace boilers, educate children, resurface parking lots, train clergy and solidify the future of their parishes. I am sure that it will be an impressive impact on the 85 parish communities that have worked so hard to make $45 million an important number in the history of this Local Church.
If a church, school or diocese is to remain vital and work to meet its long-term needs, it is necessary to set stretch goals, to maintain a certain average gift level, and to focus energies on phases and targets—but once you’re done crunching the numbers, always remember to take a moment to applaud your clients, volunteers or donors. Remind them of the incredible impact they have made on their organizations and the world around them.
Michael Hutchinson, a Senior Consultant at Graham-Pelton Consulting, is currently serving the Diocese of Greensburg.
The Year for Priests
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1001204.htm
I read this article on the Catholic News Service (www.catholicnews.com) and it made me think of my experiences working with priests to support the mission of the Catholic Church. I have been very lucky to have met so many wonderful priests during that time. In my company bio, it says that I have helped to raise more than $400 million for Catholic clients, but the reality is that more than a thousand diocesan and religious priests were responsible for raising those funds. I was fortunate enough to have worked with them to accomplish their goals.
Archbishop Raymond L. Burke, head of the Vatican’s supreme court and former Archbishop of St. Louis, is quoted in the article as saying, “...it is easy to miss the reality of the priest's divine vocation, which is a mission to be 'another Christ' at all times and places.”
As a consultant, I have a unique opportunity to witness the relationship of a parish priest and his parishioners. In every section of the country, I have experienced the special relationship between laity and clergy. At times during the past decade, I have worked with priests that were concerned that parishioners would not respond to a fundraising campaign because of a perceived negativity toward the Local Church. It has been reassuring to witness parish after parish where that perception was laid to rest.
When asked to respond to their parish priest, lay leaders are more dedicated than ever to assist their priest. Lay leaders see what I see – a priest that says Mass at 8:00 a.m. every day of the week before heading out to a day full of parish administration meetings, school administration meetings, wedding preparations, funerals, a campaign solicitation or two, and then finance council, pastoral council, campaign report meetings, religious education classes, RCIA meetings, CCD meetings, and on and on… It is an exhausting pace, and I am forever impressed by it.
I think often about my mother in matters related to the Church. With regard to this article and Year for Priests, I think of the priest who baptized her in 1936. How many babies did he baptize during his 30 to 50 years as a priest in Indianapolis? How many 1st Holy Communions? How many Confirmations, weddings, and funerals? How many important sacramental memories are commemorated by a photo on a thousand different families’ walls that include one priest? I think of this when seminarian education is a case component of a campaign. A man that will become a priest this year will be a part of a wedding photo this year that will grace the wall of the home of that couple’s grandchild in 2060. I am in awe of that idea and it only dates back to 1936. The art in this article dates back 15 centuries!
There are no fundraising tips for this entry, but in honor of the Year for Priests, I thank those that I have worked with for their leadership.
Best Regards,
Brad
The Future is Now
Recent articles focused on the new technology of the Apple iPad or the latest smart phones constantly lead me to reflect on how these technologies can be effectively utilized for Diocesan fundraising efforts. Perhaps you have recently attended a workshop, webinar, or conference where the subject of incorporating technology (i.e. email, Facebook, Twitter, Social Networking) into fundraising practices was discussed. If you are like me, these conversations fill you with enthusiasm regarding the possibilities, but as a few weeks or months pass, the practical application of creating strategies to incorporate these technologies gets lost in our daily responsibilities.
However, the future is now – today is our opportunity to implement inexpensive ideas that utilize current technology, and have the potential to become a valuable resource over time. For most diocesan development offices, the prevailing thought is that the constituents who support the church are largely of an age bracket that does not” tweet” on Twitter or have a Facebook account. In the past, I too have been of that mind, but the reality is that more than 90% of diocesan donors already have a cellular phone, more than 90% have an e-mail account and a significant percentage of donors can likely access their e-mail from their cellular phone. What does this mean? It means there is an opportunity to build relationships.
Begin with simple actions that are possible right now:
- Send an e-mail to all known addresses with an invitation to join a diocese’s Facebook and/or Twitter account.
- Take advantage of the opportunity Twitter offers to send out a daily prayer, daily readings, or a link to the history of a Holy day of obligation or a particular Saint.
- Encourage your Pastor/Bishop/Principal to offer regular contributions so that parishioners will make utilizing these technologies a regular part of their life.
As you evolve, consider utilization of the mobile phone. The mobile phone and its many applications may eventually become the American equivalent of a wallet. Already, people can check their account balances, pay bills, follow the market, make stock trades, and download music, books, movies, and many more amazing things from the palm of their hand. However, if you are like me, then you only utilize a small portion of your phone’s functionality. For the Catholic Church, I think now is the time to grow with cellular phone users like me. Five years from now, I will likely use a much larger portion of my phone’s functionality. Likewise, if your diocese starts now, five years from now your Diocese, parish or school will have evolved its use of new technologies at the same pace as your donor base and all involved will have new ways to connect with each other and with their faith
My colleagues and I are exploring ways to involve social networking in the day-to-day work of dioceses and evolve social networking as an effective tool for supporting the mission of our clients. We would enjoy hearing from you regarding this topic. Please comment below with your personal and professional experiences.
Best Regards,
Brad
Welcome 2010
As we enter into our second decade of the 21st century, I am excited to witness and participate in the changes to the nonprofit sector. During the last decade, more than 1 million new 501(c) (3) organizations were founded, more than doubling the number at the end of the 20th century. Giving in the United States is resilient and increased more than $100 billion during the past decade, even considering the dot-com bust early in the decade, the tragic events of 9/11/01 and the recession of 2008/09.
When you look specifically at giving to religion, it has increased more than $32 billion during the past decade and maintains its rank as the largest percentage of annual giving (35%). The Catholic Church has experienced a unique decade of fundraising, and there are many stories of reduced finances for older dioceses and archdioceses to sustain and serve parish elementary schools, parishes, and other institutions. The community has also faced a shortage of pastors, which has negatively affected the dioceses ability to maintain parishes and the reductions have been difficult, but necessary.
On the other hand, the Catholic Church is emerging in locations such as the South and Southwest where there is a vibrant need for schools, parishes and institutions. Through all of the ups and downs of the past decade, Catholic dioceses and archdioceses have been blessed to continue to minister to the faithful through the parish priest (where most people identify most closely with their religion). Ninety-nine percent of Catholics throughout the United States have a positive weekly experience in their local parish and therefore have continued to financially support the Church as top annual funding priority. In much the same way that University campaigns began to strive to raise $1 billion over the past decade, many dioceses and archdioceses have set goals and been able to raise $50 and $100 million or more in support of future projects and endowments to fund the ministries of the Church over the long-term.
As a fundraiser, I am honored to have played even the smallest of role in the success of philanthropy in the Catholic Church over the past decade, and I look forward to working with the community to identify and overcome new challenges during the next 10 years.
Happy New Year!
Celebrate Thanksgiving with Your Donors
Isn’t it amazing how quickly the final days of August turn into the days leading up to Christmas? Again this year, the end of summer and beginning of fall snuck up on me. One week we are making plans to go out on a friend’s boat and the next week school starts, the leaves begin to change, and you are navigating a pumpkin patch to decorate your house for Halloween. As we all are aware, time has a tendency to go by quickly. In recent years, I have noticed that retailers are bringing out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier, too. I am afraid that the Thanksgiving holiday, with its lack of merchandising power, is getting overlooked. Luckily, I don’t work in the retail world and therefore have the opportunity to identify ways to celebrate Thanksgiving in the workplace. In the world of Catholic Fundraising, the Thanksgiving holiday is an excellent opportunity to express personal gratitude for people’s commitment to the Church and the ministries it supports.
There are a number of ways in which a diocesan or parish development office can share the spirit of Thanksgiving with donors at every level. The following are just a few suggestions to consider:
Hold a Reception with the Bishop
Invite the most significant contributors to the annual appeal, the recent diocesan-wide capital campaign, newly identified families with leadership capacity, lay leaders and clergy intimately involved with the implementation of major diocesan initiatives (an annual appeal committee as an example), and key diocesan staff.
The evening should include heavy hors d’oeuvres, last approximately two hours, and include a brief stewardship report from a staff member regarding the ministries supported during the previous year, as well as a personal word of thanks from the Bishop.
Furthering personal relationships between lay leaders and your Bishop is always the goal of a development office. A reception with the Bishop provides at least three positive outcomes:
- Leaders from nearby cities have the opportunity to meet each other in a relaxed environment. Establishing relationships with and between diocesan lay leaders builds a foundation for action and long-term progress (new or updated schools, endowments, Catholic Charities, etc.).
- A reception of thanks is a forum in which to identify new board members for Catholic causes.
- Social gatherings strengthen the bond between the Bishop and lay leaders.
Personal Phone Calls by the Bishop and Director of Development
The Church does not function solely from the generosity of top donors. There are a great many clergy and laity who give generously of their time and their talents to lead the ministries of the Diocese. Because the financial obligations of the Church are so great, the perception can be that the Diocese is always asking for money. If you are not doing so already, it is important for the Director of Development to acknowledge supporters’ generosity by personally contacting a second tier of donors to the annual appeal or recent diocesan-wide campaign. Additionally, it is beneficial for the Director of Development and his/her staff to personally phone clergy and volunteer leaders involved in every area of diocesan-wide fundraising to thank them for their efforts (annual appeal, Catholic Foundation projects, planned giving seminars, Catholic Schools, etc.). The following are three tangible outcomes of personal phone calls of thanks:
- Simply identifying the list of people involved in the mission of Catholic fundraising on an annual basis is an exercise in effective database management and organization. When you add their spouse’s name, children’s names, e-mail address, home and cellular phone numbers, the profiles that are created will identify the volunteer leaders responsible for advancing the mission of the Church.
- Philanthropy is enhanced when you recognize the partnership between administration, clergy involvement, lay leadership, and volunteerism through an expression of gratitude.
- Your outreach of gratitude inspires continued enthusiasm for an individual’s personal contribution of time, talent and/or treasure.
Personally Signed Thank You Notes
The final phase of an organized plan of Thanksgiving is a personal note from the Director of Development or appropriate person to a specific audience—for example, donors of $350 or more to the annual appeal or every family that attended a planned giving meeting during the calendar year. A simple act of sincere acknowledgement of a contribution may encourage the family to continue giving at that level or increase their generosity the following year.
The goal of this effort, as with the reception and phone calling, is to personally express gratitude, deepen the individual’s connection to or understanding of the work of the Catholic Church, and possibly elicit an increase in his or her commitment of time or financial support of the Diocese in the future.
Thanksgiving is a time of year that provides each of us with a reminder of our blessings—family, friends, freedom and opportunity. As development professionals, there is an opportunity to identify these same blessings in the philanthropic ministry of the Church. Thanksgiving is a perfect time to recognize the people who have helped us along the way!
- BKP
‘The Way a Campaign Begins Is in Many Ways Indicative of the Way it Will End’
To continue the discussion and my own observations about the Diocese of Greensburg's Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign, I’ll add this — during a time when giving to all other charitable sectors experienced a decrease in giving, the Diocese of Greensburg achieved the following:
- The Diocesan Lenten Appeal target of $4 million
- Bishop Brandt raised his minimum target of $7 million in support of the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign
- Model Phase Parishes reached 116% of their minimum target
- Group One Parishes reached 102% of their minimum target
- Group Two Parishes reached 51% of their minimum target from less than 5% of the families in the phase to date (as of 10.9.09)
- 5,500 families made a gift to the campaign to date (as of 10.9.09)
- $22.8 million has been pledged in support of the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign to date (as of 10.9.09 – a $3.8 million increase in the three weeks since the press conference)
- 1,200+ volunteers sharing the vision of the Diocese of Greensburg with fellow parishioners in a personal manner
I congratulate Bishop Brandt, diocesan staff and lay advisors, diocesan and religious priests, and the dedicated leadership of parish volunteers on the successful launch of the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign.
Bishop Brandt often says that the way a campaign begins is in many ways indicative of the way it will end. As a campaign staff, we will continue to implement the campaign plan for the Diocese of Greensburg – a collaborative campaign focused on donor education and communication and volunteer support. With the leadership of Bishop Brandt, and the collaborative support of clergy and lay leadership, we are confident that the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign will conclude as successfully as it began.
Greensburg Announcement: $45 Million
Capital and Endowment Campaign
On Monday, September 14, 2009, Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt, JCD, PhD, held a press conference to announce the capital and endowment campaign for the Diocese of Greensburg and the remarkable success of the campaign to date. On the day of the announcement, more than $19 million was received in pledged financial support from approximately 4,500 Catholic families. As a consultant working with my 10th diocesan client during the past 12 years, it is incredibly rewarding to be a small part of Bishop Brandt’s success.
It is standard practice for any major campaign initiative to announce the campaign after significant initial success. However, what can be lost in the numbers of such an announcement is the attention to detail and preparation that offer an organization the opportunity to thank its current supporters and inspire future supporters.
Watching Bishop Brandt speak so eloquently of the roadmap to his announcement and the hope for the future of Diocese of Greensburg, I reflected on the thousands of people involved in making the press conference possible. As with any major initiative, the Today’s Challenge ~ Tomorrow’s Hope campaign was born out of strategic planning involving the stakeholders of the Diocese – Catholic families and priests throughout the four counties of Armstrong, Fayette, Indiana and Westmorland.
Facing the same challenges as many dioceses, including reduced clergy, aging institutions and an aging and dwindling Catholic population, a collaborative process of defining the future of the Diocese of Greensburg initiated the process of a capital campaign. As a result of the collaborative nature of the strategic plan, the Catholic families of the Diocese of Greensburg have responded to the request for financial support of the campaign in a way that demonstrates their investment in the future of their Church instead of an obligation of their Faith. The distinction is significant when you consider the economic climate of September 2008 through September 2009.